Food chains Hygiene: monitoring of retail products and characterization of isolated microbial species (virulence factors, ability to form biofilm, antibiotic resistance)

Hygienistic food monitoring can be performed at various supply chain levels; the thesis “Food chains Hygiene: monitoring of retail products and characterization of isolated microbial species (virulence factors, ability to form biofilm, antibiotic resistance)” focused attention on the final phase of this distribution chain. Different types of meat and vegetables samples were investigated on microbiological basis. Samples were collected in Naples city (Italy). According to the the CE Regulation 2073/2005, the following microbiological protocols were assessed: total bacterial count, Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp. . The microbiological monitoring was additionally performed to evaluate: Sulphite-reducing Clostridia, Clostridium difficile, Listeria spp and L. monocytogenes, Staphylococcus spp. and S. aureus, Campylobacter spp., E. coli O157: H7, Clostridium perfringens, Enterococcus spp., Aeromonas spp .. In addition, virulence factors studies were realized. The statistical study involved the verification of positivities registered and the frequency distributions analysis. These evaluations provided useful input to the risk assessment associated with production chains.